Coming Home
by mml005
Summary: Takes place just after Kuvira claimed victory over Zaofu, and before citizens kneeled before her in the episode Battle of Zaofu. Kuvira must accomplish great things in this short amount of time, as the world had just changed forever.


Watching her army celebrate the victory of Zaofu gave Kuvira reassurance of her cause being worth it all. It had been three long, slow moving years since the beginning, and now the end was finally in sight. A few of her followers congratulated her on the triumph over the Avatar, while others worried if she had been physically injured. She admitted to herself the Avatar had at least bruised her ribs, but her mind was elsewhere and in shock. Kuvira downplayed both scenarios, allowing her army to carry on and celebrate in their own ways. She had some unfinished business to attend to.

Despite Suyin Beifong designing the city to share the common wealth within, the estate she lived in was a distant and elaborate focal point of the collection of buildings. It was definitely one of the largest structures in the city, but it was far enough away where those outside the family would not feel right trespassing the property. A family of seven was hardly enough to use the home to its full potential.

Kuvira eventually made her way into the city using the secret passageways she learned during her time as a Zaofu resident. She began regretting not receiving medical attention before leaving the camp. Her dark hair framed her cheekbones and lengthened passed her shoulders. It was still battle-worn, as was she. A consistent tenderness in her side started to fight for her attention. But going back now would make her seem inconclusive and hesitant about running the empire.

The estate seemed to be deserted. The family must have known their beloved founder had failed to keep it locked from the rest of the world. But if she had Suyin and the twins taken from them, Kuvira knew the rest would come back. It was only a matter of time before all of the pawns were exactly where they needed to be.

She found her old home in nearly the exact way she had abandoned it. Nothing seemed out of place, and no matter how hard she tried, Kuvira could not erase the memories she had made with the Beifongs. With Suyin. A courtyard housed waist-height pillars in a circular arrangement, each having a piece of meteorite with metal throughout. Her chest tightened. Kuvira remembered it being the site she was taught metalbending. If she knew then what she knew now, Kuvira would have fought for a different teacher.

A decorative waterway traveled like a river throughout the property. Kuvira questioned whether it was for décor or as some sort of barrier keeping others from entering. She could not help but smirk to herself of a memory made years ago near the water. Baatar had said something, probably underestimating her intelligence, and she retaliated. She remembered her teenaged self to have quick, irate responses to nearly anything. Instead of shutting his words down, she shoved him into the water. She did not realize there was quite a distance from the ledge to the water surface, but luckily the deep river was not fast-flowing. And Baatar could swim, sort of. A young Opal had seen everything and ran to the scene. Kuvira knew she was going to blab everything to Su, embellishing many details. The two looked over the ledge, raising an eyebrow to see Baatar making his way to an emergency ladder a distance away. Kuvira stared at Opal, wide-eyed, regretting her impetuous actions. Opal strangely enough just shrugged it off and claimed he deserve what was coming to him, and skipped away to whatever she was doing previously. Kuvira knew there was a reason Opal was her favorite of the Beifongs.

Where had this Opal gone?

Inside the estate was lit with natural light passing through great windows. The walls were probably made more out of glass than of stone. The dining room was just as she had imagined it; the solid u-shaped table, connecting all the guests together. Suyin had always claimed the largest, most elaborate seat at the head of the table. Kuvira, before she was assigned to be head of the security force, only had a few opportunities to sit near the head. The most recent time she could remember was the announcement of she earning the new title. She moved the metal chair with a single wave of her arm. Claiming the head of the table, Kuvira rested her tired feet onto the dining table, seeing the room in a perspective she had never experienced before. To Suyin's left was always Baatar Sr., and to her right was some sort of special guest. There was always some random individual who had claimed to be something more than what was actuality in that chair. Yet somehow they earned the temporary title of guest of honor. Suyin also had some bizarre rule of girls not being able to sit by boys. And vice versa. She and Opal had sat on the adjacent table to the left, and the others were across the room. Which never seemed right, since it was two people on one side, and four on the other.

But Suyin's ways were of the past.

Kuvira walked back to the doorway of the dining room, looking towards both ends of the hallway. She could have sworn she heard something close by. Or someone.  
Down a hall were offices, one of many sitting rooms, and private bedrooms of the Beifongs. She counted _one, two, third on the right._ Stopping at the tall door, Kuvira felt her chest tighten again. She bit the inside of her lip, forcing composure. She knew this room would either be torn apart and destroyed or converted into something much different than it had been in the past. With careful, small movements of her hand Kuvira was able to unlock the deadbolt and turn the metal knob.

Her brows furrowed as she felt her jaw drop slightly. Nothing had been touched. Nothing had been altered. Nothing looked as if it was searched through meticulously.  
A layer of dust blanketed all surfaces in the darkened space. Kuvira walked to the tall windows and forcefully pulled the curtains apart. A slight fog of dust sprinkled in the air, casting a ray of light against a shelf. Among thick books was a framed portrait of her and Baatar. It must have been taken at one of Suyin's over the top parties, as they both were dressed up to the nines. Maybe even to the tens. She looked closer to the details, and the two were turned and pressed towards each other. Kuvira had her head slightly tilted and attention directly at the camera. A hand placed delicately just below his chest. Baatar must not have gotten the queue from the photographer, since he was smiling away from the camera. His attention was all on her.

Kuvira picked up the frame and was reminded of this carefree point in her life. A warmth began to blossom within her core. But then her eyes caught movement at the doorway. She was not sure to be on the defensive, the celebratory, or the reminiscing.

"We did it," Baatar exclaimed nearly out of breath, yet in his usual manner.

It was not until then Kuvira had realized this. Yes, she announced the news to her army but that was almost for their own reassurance. She needed to hear it again. To realize what had happened, what she had done. The Earth Empire would from then on finally be a nation of equal wealth and resources.

"We did…" Kuvira whispered to herself, still in disbelief. She set the picture back down, face first.

"Why hasn't anyone looked at you medically– you're completely beaten up. I'm gone for one second and-"  
"I'm fine, trust me," Kuvira lied. "It was well worth it." That was true.

"What happened to Korra?"

"She disappeared on a bison," Kuvira made a frustrated face. "With the airbenders. And your sister."

Baatar paused, exhaling shortly. Kuvira knew if he cared about anyone in his family, it was Opal. Even though he probably could never fully protect her, he gave himself the responsibility. And with her heading towards who knows where, he would not be able to fulfill his responsibility. "And the rest of them?"

"Suyin and the twins are being dealt with by a few sergeants," Kuvira said shortly in a satisfying tone. "Where the others have gone, I'm not sure."

Baatar locked eyes with her. "What are you doing up here? You should be celebrating what we have accomplished. What you have accomplished."

Kuvira had an inclination he was not altering the subject just for the sake of doing so. "How did you know I was here, anyways?"

"A few people in the army guessed why you were leaving the site. Most figured it was for protection, until the dust settles, and they understand that," his eyes trailed away. "But I figured I knew you better than to go hide."

She nearly instantly regretted coming back to the estate. She should be with her army, leading all of them into the city. She should not be thought of as a leader who runs for cover. To be present with them. "Well if being right here isn't hiding, what is it?"

"Picking up where you left off."

"Where we left."


End file.
